1 . Until now, dressing robots, designed to help an elderly person or a person with a disability get dressed, have been created in the laboratory as a one-armed machine, but research has shown that this can be uncomfortable for the person in care.

To solve this problem, Dr Jihong Zhu, a robotics researcher at the University of York’s Institute, proposed a two-armed assistive dressing plan, which has been inspired by caregivers who have demonstrated that specific actions are required to reduce discomfort to the individual in their care.

Dr Zhu gathered important information on how care workers moved during a dressing exercise, through allowing a robot to observe and learn from human movements and then, through AI, generate a model that mimics (模仿) how human helpers do their task. This allowed the researchers to gather enough data to illustrate that two hands were needed for dressing and not one, as well as information on the angles that the arms make.

Dr Zhu said, “We know that practical tasks, such as getting dressed, can be done by a robot, freeing up a care worker to concentrate more on providing companionship and observing the general well-being of the individual in their care. It has been tested in the laboratory, but for this to work outside of the lab, we really need to understand how care workers do this task in real life.”

“We’ve adopted a method called learning from demonstration, which means that you don’t need an expert to programme a robot; a human just needs to demonstrate the motion that is required of the robot and the robot learns that action. It is clear that for care workers two arms are needed to properly attend to the needs of individuals,” Dr. Zhu said. “With the current one-armed machine scheme a patient is required to do too much work in order for a robot to assist them, moving their arm up in the air or bending it in ways that they might not be able to do.”

1. What’s the problem with the one-armed dressing robot?

A．It causes discomfort.	B．It moves too slowly.
C．It has an ugly appearance.	D．It lacks flexibility.

2. Dr Zhu got the inspiration for his new plan from ______.

A．some books	B．AI models in the market
C．a dressing exercise	D．the healthcare providers

3. What’s one purpose of Dr Zhu’s designing a two-armed dressing robot?

A．To give better demonstrations.

B．To allow caregivers more time to do other things.

C．To make it a better companion for the needy.

D．To improve the well-being of the care workers.

4. Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Taking Care with Caregiving Robots

B．Robot Could Help People Get Dressed

C．Caregiving Robots: the Future of Health Care

D．University Scientists Create Two-Armed Caregiving Robot

2 . Leading museums in the United States are covering up or closing displays featuring Native American cultural objects owing to new federal rules. The new regulations require museums to obtain “free, prior and informed permission” from tribal leaders before displaying ancestral heritage items.

The American Museum of Natural History in New York City, the largest natural history museum in the world, announced on Jan 26 that it would close two halls spanning 10,000 square feet with Native American exhibits, as the exhibits are “severely outdated”. “The halls we are closing contain artifacts (历史文物) of an era when museums such as ours did not respect the values, perspectives and indeed shared humanity of Native Americans,” museum President Sean Decatur said in a letter to the staff, The New York Times reported. “The number of cultural objects on display in these halls is significant, and because these exhibits are also severely outdated, we have decided that rather than just covering or removing specific items, we will close the halls,” Decatur said. The move comes because of the implementation (执行) in early January of update d regulations under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).

Over the next five years, museums, universities, art institutions and similar places are required to undertake essential updates to prepare all human remains and related funerary (葬礼的) objects for repatriation (遣送), making sure that tribes have more power and increased authority throughout the process. “The ultimate goal of the law is not to cover up exhibitions. It’s not to prevent appropriate education about diverse native cultures. It’s about repairing and repatriating items that have been stolen over the last couple of centuries and returning them to the rightful people,” Shannon O’Loughlin, the CEO of the Association on American Indian Affairs said.

Chicago’s Field Museum earlier this month also closed several displays featuring Native American cultural items. The Field Museum has one of the biggest collections of Native American remains in the country and opened a new permanent exhibition in the spring of 2022 that displaced the museum’s longstanding Native American exhibition since the 1950s.

Harvard University, which has more than 5,000 Native American human remains, has said it will remove all Native American funerary items from its exhibits. “Exhibitions have always been discussed during tribal discussions and cultural items have been removed from display at the tribal request. With the new NAGPRA regulations, the museum is in the process of removing all the funerary belongings and likely funerary belongings off display,” Harvard University’s Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, said in a statement.

1. Which has the same meaning as the underlined word “perspectives” in Paragraph 2?

A．Occupations.

B．Faults.

C．Challenges.

D．Viewpoints.

2. What did Chicago’s Field Museum do in the spring of 2022?

A．It opened a new permanent exhibition.

B．It collected some Native American belongings.

C．It handed funerary objects to American Indians.

D．It set about displaying Native American cultural objects.

3. How is Harvard University dealing with all the funerary belongings?

A．By selling them to other people.	B．By putting them in some labs.
C．By taking them away from its exhibits.	D．By covering them with pieces of cloth.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．US New NAGPRA regulations scheduled to be in effect

B．US museums stop displaying Native American exhibits

C．US museums feature Native American cultural items

D．US museums prefer ancestral heritage items

3 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

Apart     1     the life-size Terracotta Warriors（兵马俑）buried in the mausoleum（陵墓）of Qinshihuang, the first emperor to unite China more than 2,000 years ago, bronze water birds also accompanied him into the afterlife.

A show now on at the Qinshihuang Mausoleum Site Museum in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, displays 57 bronze water birds and clay figures discovered in a pit（坑）, the     2    （content）of which are said to be related to the emperor’s favorite entertainments.     3     show is divided into three sections, which recount the discovery of the bronzes, the ancient techniques     4    （use）to make them, and how they were designed and made to match their surroundings.

Everything on display was unearthed in Pit No.7, a burial pit far from the one     5    （contain）the terracotta army. So far, 46 life-size water birds, including cranes, swans and wild geese, as well as 15kneeling pottery figures,     6    （discover）.

“It’s rare to see figures and water birds together in imperial tombs. It’s also very different from     7     has been found in other pits and chambers at Qinshihuang’s mausoleum. It’s an     8    （illustrate）of the inner world of Qin Dynasty（221-206 BC）people,” says Wang Rui, aplanner of the exhibition.

Wang says that the exhibition leaves many questions, such as why only the three kinds of animals were chosen     9    （accompany）the emperor, who made them, and how they were able to make the birds look so lifelike.

“There are still many mysteries about Qinshihuang’s mausoleum for     10    （we）to explore,” adds Wang.

4 . In late September, an international team of researchers spread out across a remote New Mexico mountain range in search of a plant. The group walked through the rough landscape looking for signs of plants hugging a tree. Seven days later, the scientists left with a sample of nature’s reward: wild bean plants.

The scientists wanted to collect the legume (豆科植物), which is native to dry regions of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. “The plants have adapted to this very hot and dry climate, so they have exception al drought and heat tolerance,” said Sarah Dohle, an expert with the U. S. Department of Agriculture.

A warming planet is causing huge damage to agriculture around the globe. In the western U. S., a severe drought affected California’s tomato and rice production. In Guatemala, the combined effects of both drought and rain decreased corn and black bean harvests. In Sub-Saharan Africa, hot conditions have reduced the yields of wheat and corn by more than a third since the early 1960s.

“Crops like the wild bean could help diversify food production, and their genetic material may help make other crops more drought- and heat-tolerant,” said Richard Pratt, who is among a growing number of scientists working to look for crops adapting to climate change.

The University of California is leading a multi-state $15million project involving 20 institutions to speed up the breeding (繁殖) cycles of wheat and to research ways to help the crop grow in a toughened environment. At Auburn University in Alabama, scientists are working to breed a peanut variety that can better tolerate drought conditions. And scientists from various institutions have taken part in an effort funded by the Norwegian government to identify, collect and evaluate wild crops for future development.

Still, there are numerous challenges at play: Crop breeding is a time-intensive process, so it can be difficult for scientists to keep pace with rapidly changing weather. Advances in gene editing can help speed up the process, but come with their own trials.

“As global climate change keeps being hard on us,” Sarah said, “there isn’t plenty of time left for us to get crops that are adaptable.”

1. What is paragraph 1 intended for?

A．Sharing an inspirational story.	B．Leading in the topic of the text.
C．Providing background information.	D．Summarizing the main idea of the text.

2. How does the author mainly develop paragraph 3?

A．By giving examples.	B．By answering questions.
C．By making comparisons.	D．By listing prediction data.

3. What does Sarah Dohle imply at last?

A．Climate change is controllable.	B．Crop breeding is time-consuming.
C．Efforts to plant crops prove fruitless.	D．Urgent measures should be carried out.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Overlooked Wild Crops Require Preserving

B．Global Warming Influences Crops’ Adaptation

C．A Severe Drought Is Threatening Food Security

D．Scientists Are Looking for Climate-adapted Crops

5 . A study, published in European Heart Journal, is the first to assess how different movement patterns throughout the 24-hour day are linked to heart health.

In this study, British researchers analyzed data from six studies, involving 15,246 people from five countries, to see how movement behavior across the day is associated with heart health. Each participant used a wearable device, a key novelty, on their thighs (大腿) to measure their activities throughout the 24-hour day and had their heart health measured.

The researchers identified a series of behaviors that make up a typical 24-hour day, with time spent doing moderate-vigorous activity providing the most benefit to heart health, followed by light activity, standing and sleeping compared with the negative impact of sedentary (久坐) behavior. The team modeled what would happen if an individual changed various amounts of one behavior for another each day for a week, in order to estimate the effect on heart health for each scenario. When replacing sedentary behavior, as little as five minutes of moderate-vigorous activity had a noticeable effect on heart health.

Dr. Jo Blodgett, first author of the study, said, “The big takeaway from our research is that while small changes to how you move can have a positive effect on heart health, intensity of movement matters. The most beneficial change we observed was to replace sitting with moderate-vigorous activity, which could be a run, a brisk walk, or stair climbing, basically any activity that raises your heart rate and makes you breathe faster, even for a minute or two. ”

Dr. Jo Blodgett also pointed out that although time spent doing vigorous activity was the quickest way to improve heart health, there are ways to benefit for people of all abilities — it’s just that the lower the intensity of the activity, the longer the time is required to start having a reliable benefit. Using a standing desk for a few hours a day instead of a sitting desk, for example, is not only a change over a relatively large amount of time but is also one that could be combined into a working routine fairly easily as it does not require any time commitment.

1. Why is a wearable device mentioned in paragraph 2?

A．To suggest the study’s creativity.

B．To stress the importance of measuring.

C．To explain the basis of six studies concerned.

D．To introduce the various movement patterns.

2. Which has the worst effect on heart health according to the text?

A．Standing.	B．Sleeping.
C．Climbing stairs.	D．Sedentary behavior.

3. Which statement will Dr. Jo Blodgett probably agree with?

A．We had better avoid spending time on vigorous exercise.

B．Small changes the way you exercise count most for heart health.

C．The standing desk for a few hours a day outweighs a sitting one.

D．The lower the strength of the exercise，the better for heart health.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．That any activity is better for your heart than sedentary behavior.

B．The suitable exercise schedule of a day.

C．That changing exercise routine every day in a week matters.

D．The relationship between exercise patterns and heart health.

6 . Being a plastic-free gardener is an important step for having an eco-conscious garden. Here’s how to garden by using alternatives to plastic plant pots.

Lots of pots

    1    . Most are made of plastic, and come in a variety of colours. None of these plastics are readily recyclable. Half a billion plastic pots ended up in landfill or being burned each year.

Plastic-free plant pot alternatives

The great news is that, the choice of alternative plastic-free pots is fantastic.     2    .

Ceramic (陶瓷) pots

Though expensive, when it comes to plant pots, there is not much that compares to the appeal of hand-made ceramic pots. Ceramic pots are made from the firing of clay.     3    . Therefore, if collected steadily over the years, they become the backbone of any working garden, offering a ready pot for a month or two of growing on;a permanent home for repeat-flowering flowers lasting for seasons; or a decorative feature for a greenhouse.

Wool pots

Made from raw washed wool pots, these cute little pots are a very attractive natural alternative to plastic.       4    , but they also make a perfect pot for decorative plants that will sit in a striking position while they are growing larger — a great talking point for plastic-free gardening.

Hemp (麻) pots

Hemp pots are a great alternative to the plastic pots used to grow tomato and potato plants.     5    . They come in a range of sizes, from around five to forty litres (公升). Hemp pots develop from a sustainable source, are fully broken down and can be reused for several seasons.

A．They are durable

B．Limit the use of plastic in the garden

C．Wool pots can be used to start young plants

D．They are a replacement for those with limited growing space

E．Many gardeners have a collection of plastic plant pots over the years

F．Many of the pots in which plants were sold at the time were recyclable

G．In addition to fabric, there is also wood, cardboard, bamboo, rubber, and even wool

7 . Two Canadian teenagers, William and Henry, have been taking on a series of remarkable challenges. Their most recent action _______ following the shores of the Lake Ontario for 73 kilometers. They walked from Toronto to Hamilton, Canada, in about 18 hours.

“We like to challenge ourselves physically and _______. We like to _______ challenges like these. And we feel as though going on a long walk is kind of just the purest form of challenge that you can have.” Henry told CBC news.

With very little _______, the two 16-year-olds began their journey at 5 am, starting in darkness and finishing before midnight. They took several breaks, stopping at benches with _______ views along the way, which appealed to them so much.

During their walk, one of the interesting _______ they encountered was an abandoned cargo ship(货船).“You’d be _______ by the amount of things that you don’t see when you are driving and that you will see when you’re taking your time walking,” said Henry.

_______, the journey was not only a physical _______ but also a significant mental challenge. There were moments of ________ for the pair, requiring them to ________ each other along the way.

Around 70 km into the walk, they ________ a person on a bridge who appeared to be experiencing a mental health ________. “I wasn’t sure what was going to happen to me and Henry. But we tried to ________ him to get out of it and ended up calling the police, and the situation was ________and everyone was all right,” William told CBC News. The walk is now over but William and Henry are not ready to stop challenging themselves. They set about planning a two-day 100 km walk in the near future.

1.

A．imagined

B．involved

C．permitted

D．missed

2.

A．hurriedly

B．occasionally

C．seriously

D．mentally

3.

A．evaluate

B．describe

C．overcome

D．avoid

4.

A．strength

B．preparation

C．humour

D．independence

5.

A．ordinary

B．horrible

C．fantastic

D．concrete

6.

A．sights

B．matches

C．platforms

D．notices

7.

A．amazed

B．embarrassed

C．confused

D．terrified

8.

A．Instead

B．However

C．Moreover

D．Therefore

9.

A．contact

B．change

C．appearance

D．trial

10.

A．pride

B．victory

C．amusement

D．loneliness

11.

A．blame

B．warn

C．support

D．respect

12.

A．came across

B．turned down

C．called on

D．took over

13.

A．crisis

B．facility

C．degree

D．examination

14.

A．allow

B．forbid

C．order

D．convince

15.

A．exposed

B．eased

C．predicted

D．proved

8 . We all know someone who seems unable to control their spending or make good financial decisions. When that person is someone you care about, it’s understandable to want to help them better manage their money.     1     If you feel a little out of your depth, let’s take a look at some ways to help out a loved one who isn’t great with their money, without making anyone uncomfortable.

Listen without judgment.     2     Rather than coming at someone with criticism or lecturing, try having an open conversation to better understand their underlying feelings and perceptions about money so you can determine the best ways to help.

Help them set financial goals. Ask how they would like their financial situation to be different in an ideal world.     3     Write these down and determine what initial steps they can take to start working towards these goals. Offer to periodically review progress without judgment. Remember that you’re not their financial advisor, but an accountability buddy.

    4     Provide tools that help build financial literacy at their own pace. There are plenty of trusty apps that can give your finances a boost. Other resources could include books, articles, budgeting apps, online courses, or even offering to meet with a financial advisor together to discuss developing better money management habits.

The most constructive thing you can do is help the person build discipline and skills slowly through sympathetic support. At the same time，protect your own peace by setting financial boundaries for yourself. Avoid criticism or control, and focus on boosting confidence along their journey towards good money management.     5    

A．Give encouragement.

B．Share educational resources.

C．Why should they take steps to set financial goals?

D．What specific goals and time frames can you set together?

E．However，simply telling them to manage their money carefully is ineffective.

F．When it comes to anything money-related, tough love is rarely the way to go.

G．With these help，almost anyone can become better at managing money over time.

9 . Where do you expect to see graffiti (涂鸦)? Probably not in a museum. Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, in the south-west of England, was the kind of place you went to see classical statues and stuffed animals in cases until the arrivals of the ‘Banksy Versus the Bristol Museum’ exhibition in 2009. The exhibition hosted more than 100 works by Banksy, one of the world’s most famous graffiti artists.

Banksy is a man of mystery (神秘). He hardly ever gives interviews and likes to be anonymous (匿名的). Nobody knows much about his life or his background but many people believe that his real name is either Robin Cunningham, Robert Banks or Robin Banks and that he was born in 1973 near Bristol.

Banksy’s questioned ‘street art’ includes paintings on live sheep and cows and graffiti on the huge wall put up to divide two areas. Brand Pitt spent over 82 million on a Bansky original. Banksy designed an album cover for the Britpop group Blur in 2003 but he has refused requests to do adverts for Nike. A year after the Bristol exhibition, Banksy made a film called Exit Through the Gift Shop. The film tells the story of a French street artist in America. Exit Through the Gift Shop received many positive reviews. Nobody knows if it was about a real artist or an invented character from Banksy’s imagination.

Bristol isn’t the only place in Britain to welcome graffiti. The DPM Park in Dundee, Scotland has the longest legal graffiti wall (almost 110m long) in the UK. Anyone can paint on the council-owned wall any time they like. Mike Crilley, the graffiti wall project organiser, promotes the positive side of graffiti and runs workshops for local children.

Is everyone doing graffiti? Can we do graffiti where we want these days? Not exactly. It’s illegal to paint on somebody else’s possessions, so make sure you find a legal graffiti wall like the one in Dundee if you want to have a go.

1. Why is Banksy a man of mystery?

A．His works are mainly set in Bristol.	B．His works are not universally recognized.
C．He’s likely to use a penname in his works	D．He comes from an area unfamilar to others.

2. What can be inferred about Exit Through the Gift Shop?

A．It was produced in the year 2010.	B．It was based on Banksy’s true story.
C．It was directed and starred by Banksy.	D．It was filmed for the Bristol exhibition.

3. Where can you do graffiti according to the author?

A．On any wall in the UK.	B．On somebody’s outer wall.
C．In Mike Crilley’s workshops.	D．In any nation-owned parks.

4. What does the passage mainly tell about?

A．Different opinions on graffiti.	B．Britain’s famous graffiti artist.
C．Banksy’s most successful graffiti.	D．Graffiti in major cities in the world.

10 . World Health Organization(WHO)acknowledges the needs for a strong workforce to achieve the vision of improving the health and well-being of people everywhere. Each day，our teams meet the emerging challenges in all the areas of the organization，from senior leaders to emergency administration staff，and from health specialists to data managers.

Public health

We are proud of our public health experts. They are results-oriented and drive programmes in all areas of health and emergencies. They are flexible and work at the regional，country and headquarters levels to achieve the highest standards of health through evidence-based programmes and goals.

Leadership

WHO’s pillar of accountability is held by senior leadership roles. They are our driving force and our face to the public. They are committed to upholding WHO’s role in our changing world and inspiring the next generation of leaders. The stronger our leaders，the healthier our world will be.

Operations

Our administration is dedicated to business strategy and innovative practices. WHO recognizes the importance of a strong management administration structure，committed to enabling people to work to the best of their ability and optimizing the resources available throughout the organization.

Emergency

At any one time，the WHO workforce is actively responding to dozens of infectious disease outbreaks and natural disasters around the world. WHO staff have an essential role to play in supporting Member States to prepare for，respond to and recover from emergencies with public health consequences.

1. From which area can the readers know about WHO’s structure?

A．Operations.	B．Leadership.
C．Emergency.	D．Public health.

2. What can the readers do in the area of Emergency?

A．Be familiar with the highest goal.

B．Call for help to survive in the flood.

C．Submit a prepared business plan.

D．Make an appointment with directors.

3. What is the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To advertise.	B．To entertain.
C．To instruct.	D．To argue.